The Holiday Pig Out!

Well the holiday season is upon us and with it comes the holiday pig out! And if you’re like me…that might just scare you a bit. Here comes two straight months of big meals, constant snacking, and a food barrage like no other time of the year.

My willpower crumbles under such forces as left-over Halloween candy, chips and dip, and what seems to be an endless supply of snack foods.

So do we just accept the inevitable 5+ pounds…or do we fight back?

Thanksgiving dinner, alone, can easily include 2000-4000 calories.

If you’re able to prepare the meal, you may be able to substitute skim milk and low-fat butter and cut down on the calories a tad.

My downfall is all of the ‘picky’ foods that I inhale before the actual meal…the peanuts…the chips…the pretzels…the soda…the beer. These junk foods can really send the bathroom scale spinning…and that’s even before you get to the ‘good stuff’!

Personally, I’ve found that spontaneity is a great quality…except when it comes to eating! Sometimes a little planning ahead can save a pound or two…it’s well worth the time.

Take a few minutes to see what types of food are worth the girth and which ones are not.

Try to burn off some calories before the party…squeeze in an early morning workout before the feast…skip breakfast or lunch…try anything that can help the cause without ‘cramping your style’. To help you plan, here’s a breakdown of some of the typical foods you might consume next week:

Turkey breast (4 oz) – 200 cal …dark meat is 100 calories higher.

Gravy (1/4 cup) – 80 calories

Stuffing (1 cup) – 400 calories

Mashed potatoes (1 cup) – 300 calories

Candied Sweet Potatoes (1 cup) – 400 calories

Buttered Rolls (2) – 300 calories

Pumpkin Pie (1 slice) – 400 calories

Coffee (1 cup black) – 0 calories

Beer (12 oz) – 150 calories

Soda (8 oz) – 100 calories

Peanuts (2 oz) – 350 calories

Potato chips (2 oz) – 300 calories

Pretzels (2 oz) – 200 calories

So what can we do? Save yourself for the good stuff. Don’t cut out your favorites, but you may want to be conscious of the ‘fillers’. I can easily consume 2,000+ calories of filler-type snacks during the Thanksgiving football games without even realizing it. If stuffing or potatoes are your favorite, have a second helping…but try to pass on that second buttered roll. By cutting back on the fillers and non-favorites you'll help reduce the holiday belly!

I know there are some folks out there saying things like, “C’mon…live a little!” or ”have some fun!”…and I whole-heartedly agree. But why must we associate over-eating as fun?

The difference between deprivation and gorging oneself can be measured in the thousands of calories and there’s plenty of fun to be had without partaking in the holiday pig out. You can find Holiday Pig Out and other motivational fitness information in the November 2006 article of The Bullhorn.